As of this writing, Carly and Holden have yet to share a single kiss on As the World Turns. Yet the writers have made it painfully obvious from the adoring smiles and googley eyes these two have been making at each other, that it’s only a matter of time before they cross the line from friendship to something more. When that happens, it will destroy the integrity of these characters for good.

For Carly and Holden to form a camaraderie is a natural reaction to their current circumstances. After all, Carly’s ex-husband Jack is Holden’s cousin, and Holden’s wife Lily is Carly’s best friend. Since both couples are going through trying times, it makes sense for Carly and Holden to commiserate, especially while Lily was out of town. Nevertheless, commiseration is where this relationship should end, pure and simple.

Nothing is ever simple with Carly though, as Holden should well know from years of listening to Jack and watching firsthand what he went through with her. The cousin connection of this potential new couple bothers me, but not nearly as much as the friendship connection. Carly and Lily have schemed and cried together for years to hold on to their men, and no one knows better than Carly how much Lily loves Holden.

If Carly disrespects the unspoken law of friendship that hooking up with your best friend’s husband – even if the two are estranged – is a big no-no, any redeeming qualities the character has will forever be lost. Carly is still trying to regain her family’s (and the viewers) trust after the double whammy of abandoning her three children to go on the run with her lover, and faking a brain tumor to get Jack to marry her. Assuming it’s inevitable Carly’s relationship with Holden progresses to the next level, it’s the final nail in her coffin. This turn of events will render the character irrelevant, as someone the audience can no longer root for and respect.

This pairing doesn’t make sense based on Carly and Holden’s long established personalities. The reason Holden and Lily are having problems in their marriage is because he doesn’t trust her. One of the reasons Jack is reluctant to get back together with Carly is because he doesn’t trust her. The Snyder men can be a bit judgmental and sanctimonious, so why would Holden even be attracted to someone who he has been told for years is impulsive and untrustworthy? Since Holden can’t bring himself to trust Lily, who hasn’t done anything wrong recently, what does this say about his capabilities to trust Carly?

Then there are the children – all seven of them from both sides - to consider. Carly and Holden have forged a bond while discussing their children’s suffering and confusion over their parents relationship woes. If Carly and Holden were to get together, what would it do to their already troubled children’s psyche? If Carly and Holden love and care about their children as much as they say they do, they won’t embark on an interfamilial fling.

I understand why it would be tempting for the writers to pair powerhouse actors Maura West (Carly) and Jon Hensley (Holden) together. Both deliver consistent, strong performances, and share an interesting chemistry. However, for the sake of preserving the likeability and reputations of these characters, it would be a mistake to do so.

BLISSFUL:
LILY IS LOVED ON Y&R

Teen pregnancy is in vogue these days, with two soaps currently telling stories about this emotionally charged topic. While One Life to Live has dwelled on the negative side of this controversial subject, The Young and the Restless has handled its teen pregnancy storyline with finesse.

Even though the character of Lily Winters is 20 years old, she is still practically a teenager, so I’ll treat her as such. The father of Lily’s baby is 32, which also casts a different light on this story as opposed to the OLTL story where the mother and father are 16 and 17.

Also, unlike OLTL’s teens, Y&R’s Lily and Cane used a condom, which made the resulting pregnancy even more of a surprise. While Lily immediately freaked out, Cane stepped up to the plate and decided he wanted to keep the baby, though he emphasized he would support any decision Lily made.

Cane stood by Lily as she experienced shock and grief before moving on to acceptance and joy about the impending arrival. Cane’s treatment and attitude toward Lily during this difficult time made Lily a very lucky girl. He even proposed to her, though she turned him down for now. Cane has loved Lily in spite of their age difference for awhile, but seeing her carrying his child crystallized everything for him. Daniel Goddard (Cane) did some of his finest work to date as Cane came to this conclusion.

Lily was also fortunate in another way that young Starr on OLTL hasn’t been. Even though Lily was scared to tell her father about her pregnancy, when she did he was supportive and loving, in spite of his disappointment. Starr’s father has already beaten up her baby’s daddy and threatened to send him to jail, and this is before he even knew about the pregnancy! The relationship between Lily and her father Neil is an example to all parents on how in a perfect world, they should respond to their scared child who faces an impossible choice.

Christel Khalil (Lily) and Kristoff St. John (Neil) brought tenderness and pathos to their scenes together. St. John expertly conveyed through his facial expressions and hushed tones his realization that any dreams Neil had for his daughter would have to be changed. Khalil held her own in the tender scene by allowing Lily’s innate vulnerability to shine through with her quivering voice.

In addition, Khalil shares a sweet chemistry with Goddard. Their sex scenes have expertly captured that fine line between sexy and sweet, that this couple does so well in all aspects of their relationship. Goddard never fit well with his previous onscreen wife Adrienne Frantz (Amber), but he has found an equal in Khalil.

Unfortunately, Lily and Cane discovered at her ultrasound that she had lost the baby, which made her eventual decision to keep it all the more heartbreaking. It was a tragic end to a story that Y&R has executed with class. Hopefully, Lily and Cane losing their baby won’t be the end of them as a couple, because they have the potential to become one of the show’s legendary supercouples in time.

Y&R should be commended for taking on such a touchy subject and executing it with extreme sensitivity. The writers delivered a well written and thoughtful journey for some of its favorite characters to embark on.

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Lesleyann Coker is the co-author of Boob Tube, a forthcoming novel that goes behind the scenes of the soap opera industry. She was previously a reporter for Soap Opera Weekly Magazine.